36- Why I love trains & Childhood memories with grandma in Belgium

In this solo episode of Travel Devil, your host Clara Francken takes you on a journey through memory lane. All the way from hometown Ghent to the seaside, to Christmas markets in Germany. Clara reflects on why she loves train travel, how it shaped her growing up, and shares a few of her favorite (and funniest) moments on the rails, including a sweet story told directly by her grandma.

This episode is about the beauty of slow travel, the joy of strangers, and why we shouldn’t let angry internet comments take away the magic of meaningful moments.

What to Expect in This Episode:

• A personal reflection on growing up with trains in Belgium
• Why Belgian train systems feel so unique (and easy!)
• A heartwarming train story told by my grandmother
• A conductor with an incense cone in a "Räucherhäuschen"
• Christmas cheer in the Erzgebirgsbahn to Annaberg-Buchholz, Germany
• Going viral online and how it (almost) ruined a magical moment
• Why train travel is about more than just getting from A to B
• A reminder to share your own positive travel stories

Please rate the show wherever you listen to your podcast! 🙏

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro & Why I love trains
• 1:53 Growing up with train travel in Belgium
• 4:39 Grandma’s story: trains, scouts & seaside trips
• 10:53 Reflecting on meeting strangers in trains
• 12:22 Germany’s Christmas markets & a special conductor
• 16:37 Instagram hate vs. train travel content
• 19:01 Why we need to keep telling joyful travel stories & Outro